Governor Tim Walz Thursday signed Executive Order 20-72, activating the Minnesota National Guard to provide safety and protection for Clay County and surrounding areas during demonstrations planned in North Dakota in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
As businesses were allowed to reopen with some special restrictions on Monday, June 1, Ottertail Business and Community Association (OBCA) has planned a few fun events, one of the first since the pandemic shutdown in March, this weekend. The first is a children’s event Saturday morning and t…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
Bjorn and Tollef Ringdahl and their five ambulance crews were not in New York City to see the Statue of Liberty or visit Coney Island.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
The Fergus Falls City Council granted an interim use permit for bituminous and concrete mixing facilities on Highway 210 West at a special council meeting Wednesday.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Greater Fergus Falls (GFF) is pleased to announce another local business partnership to provide local businesses with supplies to support the safe reopening of the business community on June 1. Cooper's Office Supply has teamed up with Excel Plastics and Ottertail Glass to produce acrylic ba…
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has added a second-degree murder charge to the third-degree murder and manslaughter counts against ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. He’s also charged the three other officers fired in the incident.
In a partnership, the city of Fergus Falls, Lake Region Healthcare (LRH), the Downtown Riverfront Council (FFDRC), Greater Fergus Falls (GFF) and the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce (FFACC) rolled out a public service campaign aimed at community safety as businesses gradually reopen in…
Otter Tail County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbon’s released a statement Monday about the incident with George Floyd and the violence and looting that surround the protests in the Twin Cities.
Concordia College hosted a virtual commencement celebration on Sunday, May 3.
Students named to the spring semester 2020 dean’s list were recently announced by the office of the registrar at the University of Minnesota Crookston. The UMN Crookston is one of the most respected career-oriented, technology-based universities in the nation.
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) will begin an investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) after filing a civil rights charge related to the death of George Floyd. This investigation into policies, procedures, and practices over the past 10 years will determine …
The Minnesota National Guard conducted more than two dozen missions across the Twin Cities Monday. Capitol Complex Security was one of those missions, and guardsmen found themselves serving as allies to all peaceful protestors.
Rohde Insurance Services of Fergus Falls, along with Grinnell Mutual of Grinnell, Iowa, has named McCormick Meyer of Perham as one of the 80 recipients out of 19 states of a 2020 Road to Success Scholarship. He was among those selected from thousands of Grinnell Mutual policyholders. McCor…
In response to the unprecedented economic hardships millions of American families are now facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fully online, nonprofit university Western Governors University (WGU) is offering up to $3 million in scholarships to impacted individuals looking to strengthen thei…
The Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association (MLBA) represents Minnesota’s small, family-owned liquor retailers, both on-sale (of bars and restaurants) and off-sale (at liquor stores). Tuesday executive director, Tony Chesak made the following statement:
Greater Fergus Falls (GFF) is pleased to announce that kid-owned and operated, Sugarbomb is back at it! The boutique, pop-up candy and bath bomb store saw incredible success in their inaugural year and look forward to their upcoming sophomore season opener on Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m.
About 150 people turned out at George B. Wright Park in Fergus Falls on Monday evening for a half-hour silent vigil honoring George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest on May 25. The vigil was organized by Drew Smith, …
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
The BerganKVD Accounting Firm of Bloomington presented an unmodified opinion – the best an auditor can offer – in their independent auditor’s report on the city’s finances.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
The Fergus Falls City Council kicked off the month of June by voting to reinstate the tax abatement program and approving tax rebates for four duplexes being built on South Cascade Street by Prairie View Development.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
A social media rumor was perpetrated Sunday warning that a protest was being planned in the city of Fergus Falls.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Governor Tim Walz today signed Executive Order 20-69 modifying and extending the temporary nighttime Minneapolis and St. Paul curfew through Wednesday morning to provide safety for Minnesota residents from individuals who have engaged in unlawful and dangerous activity in recent days and thr…
The 544 Education Foundation has awarded the following scholarships to the Class of 2020:
The spring fishing season has been a good one for fishing license sales in Minnesota.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Troy Mickelson wants to introduce the area to an exciting new sport - ax throwing.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
West Central Initiative, through its 2020 Resiliency Fund, is awarding more than $700,000 to nonprofit organizations seeking to respond to the immediate COVID-19 needs of the region and the long-term recovery of west central Minnesota.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Henning Watermelon Day in Vining is canceled this year.
The new owner of Dairy Queen in Pelican Rapids, Andrew Peralta, intends to have the store open sometime in early June.
The Pelican Rapids school board outlined nearly $200,000 in longterm maintenance and repair projects on school grounds during their meeting May 18.
The 110th annual East Otter Tail County Fair scheduled for July 23-26 in Perham has been canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Great Plains Natural Gas Company is conducting its annual quality control survey of the natural gas system to ensure public safety and the proper operation of the gas lines and meters.
Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program Inc. (RMCEP), is moving their offices from downtown Fergus Falls to the Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls campus this June. RMCEP is a private nonprofit corporation that offers workforce development services in north-…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
The following local residents have earned a degree from Western Governors University (WGU). The online, nonprofit university has graduated over 178,000 students from across the country since its inception in 1997.
Gregg Raisanen, vice president of academic and student affairs at Alexandria Technical & Community College, recognizes individual students for academic excellence during spring 2020. The following students were named to the dean’s list for achieving a GPA of 3.5 or higher spring semester 2020:
Delaney June Bachman of Pelican Rapids was among 3,417 graduates who received degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during a virtual graduation celebration May 9.
Tara (Steuber) Wilson, a 2006 graduate and native of Perham, and Cmdr. Brian C. Kesselring, a 2000 Concordia graduate and Fargo native,, have been named Sent Forth recipients by Alumni Relations.
Ceri Meech, daughter of Brian and Dawn Meech, Fergus Falls, received the North Dakota State University Provost Award in the amount of $6,000 and the Henry Bonde Sr. and Helen Bonde Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. The scholarships recognize students who scored a 25 to 28 on the ACT and h…
The Rothsay community hosted a blood drive with Vitalant, formerly United Blood Services, on May 28 at the community center which helped collect a total of 27 units of blood products for patients in need.
The U.S. Census Bureau, in coordination with federal, state and local health officials, will begin to drop off 2020 Census questionnaire packets at front doors of households in Minnesota starting the week of May 25. This is done in areas where the majority of households do not receive mail a…
Minnesota Department of Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley is recommending that consumers take advantage of the opportunity to check their credit rating during these trying financial times. The three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and Transunion, are offering free weekly …
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Friday that ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in George Floyd’s death.
Minnesota saw a loss of 387,894 payroll jobs over the year in April, a decline of 13.1%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “These job losses, largely the result of pandemic containment measures, are unprecedented in the history of the data series going back nearly a…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
The Fergus Falls Planning Commission gave approval to four projects Tuesday after public hearings at City Hall.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
At least one person was shot and killed and some buildings continue to burn after a night of demonstrations and looting in south Minneapolis.
Public safety officials in Otter Tail County announced Wednesday that Smart911 is now available to all individuals. Smart911 is a free service that allows residents and travelers to sign up for notifications sent from state and local public safety authorities and will provide timely and acti…
Despite working as a fifth-grade teacher at Fergus Falls Public Schools and raising three small children, Amelia Lemar has found time to finish writing her book, “It’s Okay: The 8 Things All Children Need to Hear,” and self-publish it. It’s now sitting at No. 39 in Amazon’s new releases in e…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
After Gov. Tim Walz loosened restrictions set in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which allowed golf courses to reopen in April, granted they comply with state guidelines, Pebble Lake Golf Course in Fergus Falls has seen an eruption of customers hitting the links.
Matthew Holding Eagle
Sports Reporter/Photographer
While COVID-19 disrupted the traditional pomp and circumstance of graduation, it won’t deter M State from celebrating the 724 graduates in its Class of 2020.
The Minnesota Future Farmers of America (FFA) Association’s convention is a culminating event for thousands of FFA members, agricultural education teachers, and supporters each spring. The virtual convention was filled with moments of celebrating student and chapter successes, gaining educat…
The Welcome House Thrift Store will be opening its doors to customers on Thursday, May 28 from 3-6 pm.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, the committee for Battle Lake’s Wenonga Days announced the festival’s cancellation:
The Diocese of St. Cloud and survivors of clergy sexual abuse have reached agreement on a framework for a resolution of all clergy sexual abuse claims against the diocese and area parishes.
The Fergus Falls High School Class of 1970 has postponed its 50-year class reunion to Aug. 13-14, 2021. Class members will wait an extra year to gather in Fergus Falls to celebrate and reminisce.
With attention on graduations, parades and fireworks, the District 544 School Board held their final meeting of the 2019-20 school year Tuesday morning at the Kennedy Secondary media center.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
The COVID-19 pandemic required Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra to make the difficult decision to cancel in-person spring commencement ceremonies across the Minnesota State system. As the capstone celebration of the college experience, commencement is one of the institution’s fav…
With so many things changed by the coronavirus pandemic, many community members are wondering when things will get back to normal. Many have expressed how much they miss doing the things that they were able to do before any stay-at-home order or closure. Some miss those that they interacted …
Zach Stich
Editor
Gov. Tim Walz announced on Saturday that places of worship in Minnesota may start reopening to congregates starting on Wednesday, May 27. This decision follows a motion filed last week by the Upper Midwest Law Center on behalf of multiple Minnesota churches seeking to suspend enforcement of …
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
A smoldering lithium battery was found in the recycling at an Otter Tail County Transfer Station last Friday. Employee Scott Mounts observed smoke coming from the single-sort recycling bunker at the Fergus Falls Transfer Station, but was able to alert other staff and contain the hazard befor…
The June Lynne Lacey Foundation presented scholarships to Courtney Koefod, Samantha Schlotfeld, Madeline Bailey, Taleeyah Johnson, Kalista Aamot and Amelia Barry in a virtual awards ceremony. The entire ceremony can be viewed at the Ashby High School website.
With an opening delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and emergency orders by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Greg Smedsrud has found time to put more atmosphere into the new ABC Brewery in Battle Lake.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
William Lynn Hillman’s trial could begin as early as Wednesday in Otter Tail County District Court.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Thousands of people who had planned to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C., this holiday weekend were forced to cancel this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. That includes veterans traveling with the nonprofit network Honor Flight, which recently suspended all trips at least unti…